ssh: connect to host x port 22: Connection refused
The server answered, but nothing is listening on the SSH port — sshd isn’t running, it uses another port, or a firewall actively rejects.
ssh: connect to host port 22: Connection refusedport 22: Connection refusedConnection refused (ssh) Meaning
“Refused” means a reset came back, so the host is reachable. Usually sshd isn’t installed/started (fresh VM, container), listens on a custom port, or fail2ban/ufw rejects your IP.
Common causes
- sshd not installed or not running
- SSH listening on a non-default port
- Firewall rule rejecting (REJECT) your IP, or fail2ban ban
- Connecting to the wrong host/IP
⚡ Quick fix
- Check from the console: systemctl status ssh
- Use the right port: ssh -p 2222 user@host
- Check ufw/fail2ban for your IP
Detailed fix by platform
Linux
- bash
sudo systemctl enable --now ssh # sshd on RHEL sudo ss -ltnp | grep ssh sudo fail2ban-client status sshd
How to diagnose
- Service — sshd running?
- Port — Listening port
- Firewall — ufw status / fail2ban banned IPs
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Last updated 12 Oct 2026